There's a rising expectation among some of Ainge's peers that Boston will instead try to move out at least one member of the Brandon Bass/Jason Terry/Courtney Lee trio before the deadline to make getting under the luxury-tax threshold his February focus.

It would obviously be ideal if he could trade veterans Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, but Stein reports that it is unlikely they would receive much value in a deal.

Still, the desire to move under the luxury-tax threshold should motivate the squad to make some sort of deal.

Cleveland Cavaliers

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The salary cap often causes teams to make moves to clear salary, but other squads can use it to their advantages.

The Suns are very interested in Smith and have had exploratory talks with the Atlanta Hawks about the 27-year-old forward. Phoenix views Smith as a franchise player who can be one of the cornerstones of the team for years to come. The Suns have been searching for a face of the franchise since Steve Nash’s departure last summer, and Smith could be exactly that.

The Atlanta Hawks forward has been the subject of rumors and speculation all season, but so far the team has not made any real attempt to move him.

However, Smith would be a big addition for a Suns team with one of the worst records in the NBA.